Rio's Finest
by NobleChild
Summary: A small trip to the beach after a Showdown in Rio didn't seem like a bad idea. It was hot, and the view was incredible, right? Well, yes. At last until Raimundo decided to hit on a beautiful blue eyed girl and... some other pretty girls as well. Nothing better then a small, lonely, visit though the beach so Kimiko wouldn't burn him alive. But who said she'd be alone?


**Hi, there! Well, this is the first fic I post here, and I really hope you like it. At first , I'd like to say that unfortunately I don't have a beta reader for this story (and if you want to be one, please contact me :)) So I had to re-read this peace a lot and a lot times, and due to college it took me a good amount of two (or more) weeks to finish one chapter... :( Buut, at the same time, I hope this is enough to give you a nice comprehension of the text. (this story won't last more than three chapters.**

**Another thing I'd like to say is that there will be parts with Portuguese speaking (very little ones, don't worry) and the translations will be found in the glossary in the end of each chapter.**

**Also: I don't know anything about surfing, but I did a little basic research of the subject on Google, and took what I thought would be necessary to write something realistic of one of Raimundo's favorites acivities. If anything about the matter is wrong to someone who practices this activity, contact me as well,okay? I'd be really happy to change it ;)**

**That's it for the while! Enjoy it, and thanks for passing by! (I don't own any of the character, unfortunately)**

**Chapter 1**

The sun was inexplicably scorching over the golden carpet of sand that covered the coast of Rio de Janeiro. People of all ages - and nationalities - gathered in front of the salty and refreshingly inviting water that moved in a sometimes monotonous, sometimes chaotic rythm. Each enjoying the amazing scenery in their own way - some taking care of their young children, building sandcastles, and giving them the necessary protection to play in the sea, others just lounging on their mats or even reading books under umbrellas; the sound of waves constantly muffled by the noise of children laughing, friends talking and vendors announcing their products.

Kimiko's feet were increasingly red as she walked on the beach over the warm sand. Her attention at the moment turned to other issues, preventing her from enjoying the beautiful view she had and the, somehow, unique oportunity to meet the so called Marvelous City and its beach, which looked more like a paradise that opposed with the brightness of the buildings and noise of horns and cars coming from behind.

Everything seemed unimportant to her. Though she always wanted to visit this place since she heard so much of it from her father's friends and coworkers, and more recently in the Xiaolin Temple, she'd always be the type of person who prefered indoors... with a good WiFi connection.

Moreover, the ability she was having to enjoy what was around her vanished in measly seconds.

Her eyes remained fixed in front of her as she walked aimlessly around the beach, but not exactly paying attention at whatever could come in her way.

How could he do that? That question echoed through her head proving to be hard to forget and fueled even more her already short temper. Murmuring phrases that mostly contained the name Raimundo in them, she tried to cool off as she struggled to forget the scene she witnessed a few minutes ago...

A rented surf board, a wave appearing out of nowhere and a girl with golden hair and hourglass shaped body.

Clenching her fists and biting her lips on the inside, Kimiko tried to focus on something else that wasn't the small piece of cloth that woman was wearing.

Heat rose through her body, burning every fiber of her being, making the beach temperature seem uncomfortably scorching to her median figure.

The sun wasn't like that a few hours ago since they arrived in the region. It was warm, yes, but a comforting kind of warm. That changed after a certain tall, green-eyed brunette got on her nerves. Surprisingly, everything got much hotter for her liking and she could not understand why.

"Asshole," she kicked a small lone tin can that crossed her path over the sand. Her murumurs only audible to herself as she remembered what happened.

_Some hours ago_

"Hoo-wee," the cowboy said after a few minutes in silence while admiring the beautiful view he had from the hill he and his friends were at thee moment. They were standing on a street that led, from one side, higher up, where the famous Brazilian favelas were located and from the other to the multitude of buildings, houses, ports and, most importantly, a beautiful beach located right next to a greenish and curiously rounded peak. Further back, entering the city, another elevation got the attention of the passersby, with the majestic figure of a man in marble with arms wide open, contemplating, in an eternal gaze, the city under him.

"Rai, partner," the Texan's gloved hand rested on his leader's right shoulder; his eyes, however, never letting go of the beautiful view he was given. "I now believe in every single word you were saying, and I can tell without a shadow of a doubt that you were not exaggerating."

Beside him, the Brazilian let out a smile that betrayed his pride and at the same time left a gleam of nostalgia over his eyes.

"I don't exaggerate, Clay," he replied, shrugging and throwing the newest oriental relic he acquired to the little dragon by his side. The hasty claws of the small shapeshifter quickly catched the golden Wu and placed it safely inside the purse of the only female member of the group.

Heaving a sigh of relief and hiding a little bit of anxiety, Raimundo rubbed his hands, saying enthusiastically, "So," he offered his trademark smirk, with only one corner of his mouth turned upwards. "Since we got the Wu, and have some time to spend, why don't we take this chance to visit this incredible beach right there?" with his thumb, he pointed at the beautiful coastline placed in a reasonable distance from where they were, up the hill.

Clay lowered his face to meet his friend's gaze and they both smiled, shrugging. As they attempted to speak they were soon interrupted by the fourth member of the group who was fascinated by the beauty of the city and especially the sea he saw before his very eyes. "That would be a mooooost exciting idea!" the little bald monk exclaimed as he entusiastically leaped in front of them.

His companions smiled in response and didn't take long to agree going down the hill and rest a bit after a wearing Xiaolin Showdon, which they won, thanks to their Shoku Leader.

Walking quickly to their destination without wanting to spend any more time away from that wonderful striking view, the monks went down the hill and soon arrived in a street parallel to the coast of Copacabana beach - as Raimundo said it was called, besides mentioning that it was one of, if not, the most expensive beach of the city.

Even as they were wearing shoes, the asphalt looked like hot plate over their feet, their clothes felt like a burden than anything else, their faces were dripping, releasing droplets of sweat, expressing their thirst and desire to reach the sand and sea, wanting to feel the pleasant cold wind hit against their bodies.

The three Xiaolin Dragons thanked for their leader being grown up in the region, because they haven't even reached the street, and Raimundo quickly indicated a small store that sold bathing suits and accessories for water activities in a relatively low price.

The boys were quick in their choices, each wearing beach shorts of different colors with simple tropical patterns. Putting their clothes and utensils that would remain unused for the day in a newly purchased bag, the three were soon ready to leave the store if it wasn't for a certain Japaneses girl who still was choosing which swimsuit she'd wear (even if it would be surely discarded after their small trip to Rio de Janeiro was over).

The Brazilian seemed the most restless of them three, looking through the glass door, at the beach just a street away from his body, which screamed to enter the water and feel the wind pull his form to create a wave of crystalline water that'd give him the required dose of adrenaline. Not to mention the reward he would have after leaving the water.

His eyes wandered from the blue horizon, noticing striking silhouettes passing by the dry area of the beach. Walking from one side to the other, they quickly took his attention... with different heights, skin tones, hair colors, face shapes - and other kinds of shapes - not to mention the different model's of bikini in which the Shoku Warrior didn't care to pay attention right now.

Raimundo smiled. Yes ... how he missed that. Years living in a temple full of old men, without any female figure to make him company really made him a little anxious to revisit the city he spent most part of his life. Even more a city like this, where the sun chose to leave it in a hot, sometimes dry, weather in the most part of the year. Great to wear small pieces of cloth.

And there was nothing better than going to a beach on a day like this. It seemed like the sun itself liked the vision it provided.

Spotting a small kiosk that surely rented surfboards, the Shoku Warrior soon lost the little patience he had left and turned to his cowboy friend, handing him the travel bag.

"I'm gonna get a surf board right there. Don't wanna wait in a big line, you know? See ya there," and with that he was gone as fast as a gust of wind, as if he had never been there a few seconds ago.

He soon sighed and, before he could mumble something, the blonde Texan was interrupted by a little poke on his shoulder. Turning his face backwards, Clay soon found his raven-haired friend wearing a loose bun over her head, slippers, sunglasses and a white lacy beach cover-up that exposed her vivid-red bikini under the fine tissue (nothing vulgar, but clearly attractive).

"Finally got to choose something to wear, Kim?" he asked as he blushed for being caught by surprise staring at the large amount of skin her legs exposed.

She agreed and soon turned her attention from the cowboy to find a yellow bald head looking around some beach toys in display next to the door they were. "Where's Rai?" was her question as she put her own handbag over her shoulder.

"Uhhh," Clay wasn't sure if telling the truth was the best idea. Of course he knew exactly why his friend wanted so much to get at the beach, and he knew it wasn't because of the food. "He went to get a surfboard," he tried to waer a smile to make it look convincing.

Kimiko raised both eyebrows, but seemed not to protest or change her tone when she spoke again. Something in her eyes seemed to change, though...

"So why are we here? Come on, this place is too cold for my liking," to emphasize what she said, Kimiko rubbed her upper arms and stared angrily at the air conditioner stuck on the wall just above their heads.

Clay offered her a half smile as he pulled his small monk friend away from the store and the pool noodles, the temperature around their bodies dramatically changing as they left the store. Even for someone who lived most of his life in an arid, almost desert, territory, Clay was surprised.

It was really, really hot. And it didn't help being used to the cold that was going aorund China. December was almost near and snow seemed eager to start falling and whiten the green fields around the temple they lived.

He remembered Rai explain that, since Brazil is a country with most of its part located in the South Hemisphere, the seasons were all reversed. In other words, it was summer season in Rio de Janeiro and it looked like it was going through one of its hottest days of the year, at least according to what the journalist on the tv said. Clay couldn't understand much Portuguese, but since said language sounded a bit like Spanish - a language he's been learning since childhood - he was able to get some quick words the woman said on the screen like _dia_, _quente_(calitente) and _ano_.

Also considering the fact that it didn't rain for quite a while in the city, its atmosphere was relatively dry - that information he got from the friendly saleswoman who started a small chat as they were buying their bathing suits, speaking with a very well-trained English, just like Rai. The cowboy even found it hard to believe he was Brazillian, since it was very rare to hear him say something that would give away his accent. Well... there were always those moments that seemed to get Raimundo on his nerves, then he'd start shouting strange words in a chaotic Portuguese that was too fast to be understood by anyone that didn't have it as a native tongue.

Like when Omi by "accident" dropped a stone three times his size over Raimundo's foot after finishing his workouts. The Brazilian threw himself on the floor with both hands holding his injured foot and he shouted something like, "_Puta que pariu, Omi. Um dia desses eu te mato e eu não tô brincando! Acidente uma ova!_" Clay again resorted to his Spanish skills and he knew some words didn't sound very positive.

Using his hat to make a shadow over his blue eyes and getting closer to the beach, Clay immediately began searching for his friend at kiosks around him with an annoying, restless Omi by his side asking questions that, thanks God, couldn't be understood by half the people on that beach. Kimiko on the other hand, being used since childhood to an execive number of trips around the world - thanks to her father - knew exactly how to behave, even though she had never visited the Marvelous City before.

The strands of hair escaping her bun brushed against her face the few times the wind decided visit, which became more frenquent after a certain Xiaolin Dragon vanished from their sight.

She gave one small, but deep sigh. He's always been like this... Unpredictable.

Like the wind, Kimiko, like the wind, she thought to herself, sliding her sunglasses from the top of her head to the front of her eyes. "Makes sense," she whispered looking around, searching for her missing friend with a bitter feeling invading her chest.

Taking another sigh as she kept walking around the beach with her two other friends, the Japanese focused only in the heat the sun was providing her. To mostly everyone, this temperature was considered a nuisance, too hot and too dry, it could irritate the most sensible skins. But to her... to her, everything was perfect. To her it loooked like paradise and there were few times she felt so fine because of the weather.

Every inch of her body seemed to awaken a side on her that she didn't know she posessed. Maybe it came from her Xiaolin Dragon part, maybe it came from her own nature... but it didn't matter. What mattered was how that side showed how much intimacy she shared with the heat, with the high temperatures, with light, with the energy around her... with the fire.

Upon noticing a drastic change of movement by her side, Kimiko turned to her friend and saw him waving to someone else approaching straight ahead.

Leaving aside the particular moment she was having with her surroundings, the Japanese forgot about everything around and focused her attention on the person right in front of her.

Six feet one of (God, how he had grown since they first met!) well-defined muscles for an eighteen-year-old, brown hair somewhat lighter at the tips, sun-kissed skin giving it a nice tanned tone that matched with a pair of dark green eyes and white smile with a slightly chipped tooth...

If there was an expression such as Brazilian god, Raimundo would surely be one.

Although they saw each other every day, and fought and related the way only friends of many years could, and even though she's already seen him wear various types of cloth... Kimiko has never seen Raimundo wear so little. Or better, she already has witnessed some rare moments like that one... But in some years later, the words vacation, swimming or any other kind of activity related to that wasn't in the monk's vocabulary anymore, and sure enough, a lot could change in the physique of a person with insessant (and daily) trainning and healthy diet provided by a monk's way of life. Not to mention Raimundo's fast metabolism and body that could gain muscles quite easily.

She didn't know if she was thinking too much on things like that, didn't know if the burning sesation on her cheeks were because of the sun, much less if someone could've noticed the slight dropping of her jaw, but Kimiko quickly expelled all the thoughts that had to do with the matter as soon as she noticed all the symptoms above.

Without anyone noticing, she lightly shook her head , hoping with all her might that no one noticed the situation.

What was happening?

Quietly switching the new surfboard he acquired from one arm to the other, the Shoku Warrior decided to tell his friends about the place he had just reseved, although Clay seemed to be the only one in the group paying attention to his words -Omi was too busy asking senseless questions to himself and Kimiko seemed to be lost in her own thoughts as her eyes sparkled and her white face seemed to turn redder and redder, problaby because of the sun burning her light skin. "Uh, I just got us some chairs right there," he pointed to four beach chairs placed a few feet away with two umbrellas stcuk in the sand.

Clay was the only one who nodded, but as he started waliking toward the chairs, Omi and Kimiko followed him without a second thought. The four sat down with relief and started to watch everything around the beach.

Omi felt excited about everything he had seen and seemed to want to learn more with each passing minute; each person, each new object, each meal seemed to increase his curiosity.

Althought he had already visited various beaches in various parts of the world during their usual Shen Gong Wu hunts, none of them were compared to this one. The sand was incredibly light and thin, the sky was cloudless with a green horizon that decorated the beautiful blue-colored sea illuminated by the sunlight that also hit the white and grey buildings of the city behind.

Its waves crashed in a mesmerizing way and Omi found himself fully aware of the oscillating of that salty water, concentrating in every drop that spilled over the sand or back to itself, in each new (large or small) wave that began to form, producing a deep, penetrating sound to his ears. That noise reminded him of something familiar, something he's used to hear every day... like voices.

Omi smiled. Ever since he was a baby, he grew up learning that everyone has a connection to the essence of the world around them, everything possessed some kind of life, energy, but very few could feel them. Sure, he was one of those people ... Someone who heard the water, who could see more than just those waves.

He was a Xiaolin Warrior in the end...

Letting a big smile show up on his face, Omi hugged his knees and kept listening to the ocean talking to him, ignoring all the other sounds around that weren't of his interest.

He had so much to hear...

Tilting his head backwards, Clay quickly closed his eyes and slept with his ten gallon hat hiding his face from the sun . Everything was perfect to take a little nap... and that's what he did.

Kimiko sat next to Rai as she put her bag by her side, taking the sunglasses off her face.

Sitting on the beach chair with his elbows resting on his knees and the surfboard beside him, Raimundo was unable to hide his anxiety as he looked at the sea. His fingers played with each other and he seemed to be thinking of nothing else but what he saw before him.

Again, the wind was calling. Talking, murmuring, whispering things in his ear like a soft, sweet woman's voice. The sound was hypnotizing, and made him anxious.

His feet began to swing uneasily on the sand and his fingers seemed not to want to stop moving.

Another voice, distant and unattainable to him, a voice he struggled to the utmost to ignore all these years said something. And it spoke stronger than any other voice around him... as usual. Invading his ears in a s,oft, comforting tone to his entire being he could understand only a part of what she said.

"... hungry. Do you know any place with nice food around here?"

"Uh," without moving his eyes, now attracted by a beautiful silhouette with golden hair that had just passed before him and stopped to observe some bracelets from a beach hawker nearby, Raimundo just responded with his voice, without meeting her gaze. "Food. Yeah ..."

He couldnt see her expression, but something told him that it wasn't one of the best at the moment.

Trying to fix his mistake was not an option right now. So, instead, he turned all of his attention to what interested at the time. "I think there must be... a good place ... nearby..."

Grabbing his surfboard without saying a word, Raimundo rose from his chair.

He smiled as he deeply inhaled the hot air. In an immediate response, a gust of welcomed refreshing wind hit the coast, shaking umbrellas, pieces of cloth, locks of hair... and most importantly, the salty waters of the sea.

Forming perfect waves, that would leave any other beach jealous, the wind soon caught the attention of all the surfers, until then bored, sitting on the sand. Some swimmers, who certainly weren't prepared to the unexpected change of behavior from the sea (so far, it was quite calm), quickly came out of the water, carrying their small children away from the stream that could pull them far from the sand.

Raimundo increased his smile and started running towards the sea that seemed to call him home.

Taking advantage of the path he took (on porpouse), he used the arm that held the surfboard to brush it light and carefully against the beautiful blonde by his side.

At the feel of the contact, her body immediately reacted by lifting her head toward the reason of her nuisance. Her natural red lips quickly softened when her baby-blue eyes met Raimundo's emerald-green ones.

Quickly, without seeming to want to stop to apologize properly, the Brazilian said in a fast Portuguese, "_Opa, desculpa, linda,_" and, ending the sentence, gave her that smile... the one that immediately changed the expression of any one, that emanated a hidden intent and hinted a malicious twinkle in his eye. Something that made anyone speechless.

She blushed, but he was already too far away to notice.

As his feet met the water, Raimundo could not help but smile once more. Nostalgia filled his thoughts and the rest of his body wanted more.

Leaning on the surfboard he got, he began his course to the deep part of the sea, his eyes shinning with desire for a perfect wave and his smile revealing that he was aware of the baby-blue eyes staring at him from the sand.

That didn't make him nervous at all. He was used to it. Besides, it was something he liked... and he should enjoy it the most.

"Come on," he whispered to an invisible presence that only he seemed to notice.

At his will, the wind soon heard him and once again began to work earnestly against the heavy waters of the sea. Waves and waves started to form again, each bigger and more beautiful than the last in Raimundo's view.

Everything was perfect.

Scanning each ripple creted in front of him, his eyes looked for the wave that he knew would be his.

A few seconds passed... and soon it came.

At the beginning, it was something small and insignificant, barely noticed at the horizon, but as it neared the coast, its mass increased, and with it, its speed and strength too.

Again he smiled, proud of his work.

"Nice job, all right," he whispered as he prepared himself for that perfect wave, still growing a few feet away from his tall, lean figure, tensed by anxiety, but calm and controlled at the same time.

Moving so that his feet pointed towards that wave, Raimundo rested his belly over the smooth, icy surface of the surfboard.

Without even looking back, but focusing on the familiar vibrations the water produced as it was disturbed by the wind, Raimundo waited for the wave to reach him with a smile on his face.

The turmoil around him was growing and the water just warned the uneasy Brazilian that his long wait had finally come to an end.

It was right there.

Without hesitating for even a second, he moved in planned and precise ways.

Everything happened in seconds, but it felt like hours to him. Hours of pure adrenaline and silence in his ears.

First, he was pulled upwards, almost reaching the top of the water wall that threatened to tilt and mold a beautiful crest of white and blue. Rising, Raimundo quickly found his balance over the surfboard and it seemed just like an extension of his body. Then again he moved it, looking for a balance in the crystalline sea of chaos around him. Finding it in just a heartbeat, adrenaline continued to invade his body, making his heart beat faster and his mouth want to scream in enthusiasm.

Soon, he found himself in exactly the part he liked most. The wind was now stronger than ever against his face, the speed of the surfboard under his feet against the water was precise: not too slow and not too fast. Looking in front of him with deep breaths, he could see a part of the wave still forming straight ahead.

Focusing on reaching it, Raimundo began to zigzag his board lightly against the water, reaching where he wanted in seconds.

In the next instant, he moved his surfboard upward, using his weight to maneuver it, and quickly reaching the lip of the wave. It was easy to feel when his board got completely separated from salty water and his body interacted only with the wind around him, making a perfect spin.

He didn't use his powers, he didn't need any kind of mystical or supernatural gifts to get where he was. All he had done so far (creating the wave didn't count) was simply by himself. Just Raimundo Pedrosa, an eighteen-year-old used to the chaotic movement of the water and the surfboard under his feet since he was a little kid.

It didn't take long to notice that his surfboard reached the water again. Raimundo quickly came back to his senses and focused on gaining balance over the wave.

Smiling, Raimundo enjoyed the last few seconds he had before that paradise of whites and blues dissipated under his feet.

A few minutes after taking the "Wave of Luck" that emerged in the sea of Copacabana, the Shoku Warrior finally decided to return to the sand. When he felt the water could only reach his knees, he took his surfboard and shook his head to remove the excessive droplets of water from his brown thick hair.

Putting his feet on the dry sand, the first thing he found was a pair of baby-blue eyes that he doubted departed from him ever since he entered the water.

The girl seemed embarassed one more time and redirected her eyes to the handicrafts of another Hawker (sunglasses this time). Althought it seemed like she didn't want it to look evident, the fact that she didn't move from the spot she was when their eyes met for the first time showed her interest on the Shoku Warrior, and this made him smile.

She met his gaze again and once more turned her face down as she noticed the tips of his mouth moving upwards. This time, however, she also smiled, and that was enough to make him go right where she was and start talking with those beautiful full lips. Not before noticing more figures aproaching him.

Mostly female voices surrounded him slowly and he could just get some parts of each sentence spoken, all in a Portuguese with local accents.

"_Como você fez aquele aéreo?_" "_É impossível!_" "_Aquilo foi incrível, cara!_"

Again, he liked the attention he was receiving.

Kimiko soon returned to her initial position, throwing herself over the chair with a reddened face and staring at the small crowd building up in front of her.

How could she think that the first thing he would do was walk straight at her? It was obvious with who he wanted to talk first after he left the water and it was certainly not her ... A tall, pretty blonde with hourglass body a few feet ahead of her seemed to be the right answer.

Knowing fully well that she didn't understand a tiny bit of Portuguese - she was beginning to learn the language a while ago thorugh online courses, and the the best she could get was "_Oi, tudo bem? Meu nome é Kimko!_" - she wrote the phrase he said to the girl in the translator box.

His answer wasn't exactly something positive to read, and she quickly put her cellphone over her bag with the words Oops, sorry, beautiful. written on the screen.

Putting his words aside, Kimiko was absorbed when she watched him surf on the sea.

If she weren't able to see his feet, she could have seen it wrong and thought that Raimundo was actually flying. Every maneuver, every movement seemed so well calculated, but at the same time so natural and unpredictable. She could not help but grin seeing her Xiaolin friend surfing like that.

He surely was really, really good.

Letting a bigger smile escape her mouth, she waited out of the water. Waited for him to return to where he was before. To her.

Still in the water though, she realized that his attention wasn't directed at her. Perhaps it never was...

Five more girls gathered around him - not to mention the one Raimundo managed to steal the attention before he entered the water - and at the time she noticed how he looked at each of them, and how he smiled at each of them, Kimiko decided to get up and get far away from where she was before she set the chair on fire.

Stomping her feet against the sand as she walked with clenched fists, Kimiko simply said to the only person capable of hearing her at the moment, "I'll be right back, I'm gonna take a little walk," and walked away without even looking back.

_**Glossary**_

**Dia:** day

**Quente:** hot

**Ano**: year

**Puta que pariu, Omi. Um dia desses eu te mato e eu não tô brincando! Acidente uma ova!:** (all right that one's pretty shitty) Holy fuck, Omi. One of these days I'll kill you and I'm not kidding! Accident my ass!

**Como você fez aquele aéreo?:** How did you do that air? (Air is a surfing maneuver)

**É impossível!**: It's impossibe

**Aquilo foi incrível, cara!**: That was awesome, man!

**Hope you like it, and PLEASE, REVIEW! Thank you so much! 3**


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